Raiders incompetent, arrogant for trading Khalil Mack

The Oakland Raiders reportedly traded superstar defensive end Khalil Mack to the Bears Saturday morning, in what was a rude awaking for fans of the team.

My question is this: Why even bother drafting players at all if you’re lucky enough to land a stud like Khalil but can’t plan for his signing accordingly?

The situation should have been handled before coach Jon Gruden came back to the organization. General manager Reggie McKenzie reportedly didn’t want to trade Mack, but it should have never been an issue.

From one team executive who spoke to Raiders about Mack, speaking of Reggie McKenzie: “It was crystal clear to me that Reggie didn’t want to trade Mack.”

The exact reasons as to why Mack isn’t still a Raider have yet to surface. But the team is short on cap space, in part due to quarterback Derek Carr’s enormous contract, as well as huge deals signed by players like offensive lineman Gabe Jackson. That’s all McKenzie’s bad planning.

The team’s new brain trust, led by Gruden, are trying to win a Super Bowl this season. They must feel they can do so without Mack. The team drafted a bevy of pass rushers and must feel it’s enough.

That’s pretty arrogant. But strangely, Gruden and company have a point. They have fresh eyes to the situation. Mack hasn’t been a part of the rebuilding process. The team as they know it exists completely without the superstar, and they like what they see.

In fact, if Mack had attended offseason workouts, he almost assuredly would still be a Raider, although he’d have significantly less money in his bank account.

The Raiders will reportedly receive multiple high draft picks, but that’s no guarantee of sufficient compensation. Gruden should know that more than anyone. He was himself traded away from Oakland for draft picks that did nothing to help the organization.

Trading away a former defensive player of the year in his prime can only be described as a terrible deal. But that doesn’t mean the Raiders can’t have a winning season. Football is a team game, and if Gruden and Carr are able to perform as advertised, the team could still thrive in 2018 and beyond. It’s possible the draft picks received by Oakland will pay off as well.

But there is no doubt the Raiders would be a better team with Mack. If Gruden thinks they can win it all without him, he would consider his team a Super Bowl favorite with him. It’s a scenario the fans of the team deserved to see, but unfortunately never will.

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